music industry

Sony Music says AI deepfake takedown requests top 260,000

Sony Music has asked digital platforms to remove more than 260,000 AI-generated tracks that impersonate its artists. The company told the Financial Times the requests had been filed by the end of September. That is nearly twice the 135,000 it…

Universal, Sony and Warner take equity in Stability AI’s $76M round

The world's three largest record companies have taken equity stakes in a generative AI company, marking a strategic pivot for an industry that has spent years fighting AI firms in court over copyright infringement.

Dolly Parton, queen of country music, dies at 80

Dolly Parton, the irrepressible singer-songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur who rose from poverty in rural Tennessee to become one of the most beloved figures in American entertainment, died on Tuesday at the age of 80. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her…

Spotify to label AI artists, ban them from recommendations

Spotify announced on Tuesday that it will begin labeling AI-generated artist profiles with a new "AI Persona" badge and exclude their music from algorithmic and editorial recommendations by default, the company's most aggressive move yet to combat the flood of…

Musicians rebel as labels license songs to AI without artist consent

The music industry is mounting a multi-front resistance against the unauthorized use of songs to train artificial intelligence, with major labels pushing to reshape chart eligibility rules and independent distributors arming artists with technical tools to shield their work.

Suno to limit mass distribution of AI songs amid copyright pressure

The flood of AI-generated music has crossed a threshold that the recording industry long feared. Deezer, the Paris-based streaming platform, confirmed that fully AI-generated tracks exceeded 50% of all new daily uploads for the first time in June 2026, with…

Michael Jackson biopic fuels Sony Music’s strongest quarter

The enduring commercial power of Michael Jackson's catalog lifted Sony Music Entertainment to one of its strongest quarters in recent memory, as the Lionsgate biopic "Michael" drove a surge in streaming and sales of the late artist's work.

Universal Music shares plunge 23% after earnings miss

Universal Music Group shares plunged 23% on Friday, hitting a 52-week low of €14.88, after the world's largest record label reported second-quarter results that missed profitability expectations despite strong top-line growth. The selloff dragged Vivendi, UMG's largest shareholder, down 14%…

BTS won’t submit music for 2027 Grammy Awards

K-pop supergroup BTS announced Wednesday that they will not submit their music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, a decision that arrives just weeks after the Recording Academy introduced a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category that critics…

BTS drops “Normal” music video on Spotify ahead of World Cup halftime show

South Korean supergroup BTS released the official music video and a Korean-language version of their track "Normal" exclusively on Spotify on Friday, July 17, timed to build momentum ahead of the group's co-headlining performance at the FIFA World Cup 2026…

Bertelsmann to merge BMG and Concord, creating No. 4 music company

Bertelsmann and Great Mountain Partners announced on Tuesday a definitive agreement to combine their music businesses BMG and Concord, creating the world's fourth-largest music company and reshaping the landscape of an industry long dominated by three major labels.

BTS comeback album ‘Arirang’ tops 4M sales, sweeps Spotify charts

BTS has returned to the global stage with force. The K-pop group's fifth studio album, "Arirang," released on March 20, racked up 110 million streams on Spotify globally in its first day, making it the most-streamed album in a single…

Universal’s Virgin Music closes $775M Downtown deal

Virgin Music Group, the independent-distribution arm of Universal Music Group, on Friday finalized its $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings, capping a deal first announced in December 2024 that drew prolonged scrutiny from European regulators and fierce opposition from…

Noel Gallagher named BRIT Awards Songwriter of the Year

Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher will receive the Songwriter of the Year award at the 2026 BRIT Awards, organizers announced this week, honoring more than three decades of work that has shaped British popular music. The Manchester-born musician will accept the…

BTS announces 79-show world tour after military hiatus

K-pop phenomenon BTS unveiled their highly anticipated comeback world tour on January 13, 2026, featuring 79 performances across 34 cities from April 2026 through March 2027. The announcement marks the group's triumphant return to the global stage following a four-year…

BTS to release new album March 20, 2026

K-pop sensation BTS will return with a new album on March 20, 2026, followed by a large-scale world tour, Big Hit Music officially confirmed on January 1. The announcement marks the seven-member group's first full-album release in nearly four years,…

MTV shuts down global music channels after 44 years

MTV officially ceased operations of its dedicated 24-hour music channels across the globe on December 31, ending an era that began when the network launched on August 1, 1981. The shutdown affects MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV,…

Teddy Swims faces backlash after revealing AI use in songwriting

Grammy-nominated singer Teddy Swims is drawing criticism after revealing he incorporates artificial intelligence tools into his songwriting process, reigniting tensions over AI's role in an industry already grappling with the technology's rapid advancement.

The Weeknd becomes first male solo artist with $1B tour

The Weeknd has become the first male solo artist to surpass $1 billion in tour earnings, with his After Hours Til Dawn tour reaching $1.004 billion across 153 shows, Live Nation announced Thursday. The Canadian singer has sold approximately 7.55…

Major labels license music catalogs to AI startup Klay

Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group have struck licensing agreements with Klay Vision Inc., an AI-powered music streaming startup that will allow users to remix and recreate songs using artificial intelligence. Klay becomes the first AI music…

Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ hits top 10 in sixth decade

Michael Jackson has posthumously made chart history, becoming the first artist to score Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 across six different decades following his iconic track "Thriller" climbing to No. 10 in the week of November 15,…

Rosalía breaks Spotify record with 42M streams in 24 hours

Spanish pop star Rosalía shattered Spotify's streaming record for a female Spanish-language artist on November 7, when her fourth studio album *Lux* accumulated over 42.1 million streams in its first 24 hours on the platform. The release surpassed the previous…

Netflix’s ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ earns historic Grammy nods

Netflix's animated blockbuster "KPop Demon Hunters" made Grammy history Friday as its breakout hit "Golden" earned four nominations, including the prestigious song of the year—the first time a K-pop track has been recognized in the category.

Kendrick Lamar leads 2026 Grammy nominations with nine nods

Kendrick Lamar topped the 2026 Grammy Award nominations announced Friday, earning nine nods and cementing his status as one of the Recording Academy's most celebrated artists. The Compton rapper secured nominations across the ceremony's most prestigious categories, including album, record,…

Shakira gets first Global Touring Icon Award

Colombian superstar Shakira made history on November 3 as the inaugural recipient of Billboard's Global Touring Icon Award, presented during the 2025 Billboard Live Music Summit in West Hollywood, California. The 48-year-old artist received the honor backstage while rehearsing for…

AI artist Xania Monet debuts on Billboard radio chart

An AI-powered artist has made history by becoming the first artificial intelligence creation to debut on a Billboard radio chart, igniting fresh debate over the role of technology in music creation and the future of human artistry.

BTS plans 65-show world tour for 2026 comeback

Global K-pop sensation BTS is reportedly preparing for their most ambitious world tour ever, with approximately 65 shows planned for 2026 following the release of their first album in six years, according to a Bloomberg report published Sunday. The tour…

Springsteen releases Nebraska box set with electric sessions

Bruce Springsteen released "Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition" today, a five-disc box set that finally unveils the long-mythologized "Electric Nebraska" sessions alongside previously unreleased outtakes from his 1982 masterpiece. The expanded collection coincides with the theatrical premiere of "Springsteen: Deliver Me…

Playboi Carti emerges as serious 2026 Grammy contender

As first-round voting closes today for the 2026 Grammy Awards, Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti Warner Music Group Corp. has positioned himself as one of the most compelling candidates across multiple categories, marking a potential breakthrough moment for the polarizing artist…

Disney lands Taylor Swift Eras Tour content in $100M deal

Disney The Walt Disney Company has secured exclusive rights to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour content through what sources describe as a "record-breaking" $100 million deal, outbidding Netflix and Amazon Amazon.com, Inc. to land what a Hollywood executive called "the crown…